District leadership: "Only with discipline out of the crisis".

Nationwide, the incidence rates, i.e. the number of newly infected persons within the last seven days per 100,000 inhabitants, are falling in the counties. More than half of the counties are already at a value of less than 100. If this can be maintained for five consecutive working days, the restrictive Corona limitations imposed by the federal government will no longer apply and more open spaces can be allowed again.

Contrary to the nationwide trend, the incidence in Waldeck-Frankenberg has been rising significantly in recent days. "This is very annoying and basically incomprehensible," said District Administrator Dr Reinhard Kubat and First District Councillor Karl-Friedrich Frese, commenting on the situation. "We have had values below 100 on some days and an overall downward trend. It is only in the last few days that the trend has clearly turned in the opposite direction again.

There are no distinctive hotspots, i.e. places where a particularly concentrated infection has occurred, but the infection situation is diffuse and evenly distributed over the entire district. The vast majority of new infections, however, occur in the private sphere, which is worrying. "It is now up to each individual," the district administrator and his deputy urge. "Discipline and solidarity are needed now, then we in Waldeck-Frankenberg will also have the prospect of easing the situation.

Apparently, some people - possibly in view of the advancing vaccinations - behaved negligently, sometimes even recklessly, and did not feel bound by the requirements. The behaviour of individuals who arrogate unwarranted liberties to themselves, however, is something that the district population as a whole must suffer from. This was unsolidaristic and selfish. "We were on a good path to at least being allowed to reopen the outdoor gastronomy at Whitsun and to make personal meetings possible in an extended framework," said Kubat and Frese. "We are currently far away from that again.

The two department heads therefore appeal to all citizens in the district to strictly adhere to the applicable hygiene and distance rules, as these are still the best protection against infections. We all want more freedoms and we are close to getting them back," Kubat and Frese emphasise. However, as long as individuals believe that they are already allowed to take individual liberties, they are acting to the detriment of the population as a whole, but also to the detriment of the economy, especially of gastronomy and retail. The people concerned should realise this and urgently reconsider their attitude.